Phase 1: Shrouded Vision

In this stage you are unmotivated by a future vision. You may not have a vision, you may have a vague and uninspiring vision, or you may have a vision that is based on discouragement or the expectations of others. If you are compliant, a people-pleaser, or driven by the desire to achieve, you may seem to be doing fine. But you're probably misdirecting energy and missing opportunities to set yourself up for the options and opportunities that suit you best.

Phase 2: Developing Vision

In this phase, you'll be exploring different options. You may start pursuing one option, then learn about yourself in ways that lead you to pivot in a different direction. You'll learn how it feels to be working in your "zone" or to be doing the kinds of things that you want to do more, and what types of work you want to avoid. You begin to imagine working with sustained excellence in a field that suits you. You achieve things that test and validate your interest in that type of work.

You know that while your interests may well change over time, your aptitude pattern stabilized around age 14, so it's not too early to begin envisioning your ideal work life. 

If you're torn between a few options, you'll learn how to use research tools and scenario planning to explore the different possibilities. I'll help you develop robust strategies that keep you from locking in too soon and give you options for changing course with minimal wasted time, money, and effort. 

Phase 3: Pursuing Vision

In this phase, having narrowed your focus, you can pursue it with greater grit, intentionality, and authenticity. Your achievements will support your application by demonstrating that your aptitudes and experiences align with the opportunities you pursue. These opportunities may be specific jobs, admission to a specific college, or direct admission to a popular (and competitive) major. 

Direct admission to competitive majors is a new feature of today's college landscape and one that has shifted the optimal way to prepare for college. While students used to focus on grades and test scores, aiming to get admitted to the most selective university they could, now many are more concerned about earning admission to great-fit majors that will prepare them for success in careers they enjoy. 

Opportunity favors the well-prepared. Even at colleges that don't offer direct admission to specific majors, admissions officers often consider how many students in a class are interested in specific majors. For competitive majors, they are most likely to admit the students who have demonstrated authentic aptitude and interest in the field. 

Phase 4: Positioned for Next Goal

Once you start college (or a job), you'll be ahead of many of your peers if you have a well-supported vision for what you want to do next. You'll be able to take advantage of opportunities, such as housing options or clubs for people in specific majors, right off the bat. At colleges that do not admit directly to specific majors, this type of early move can help you earn a coveted spot in the major of your choice. 

Also, if you join a club related to a specific major as a freshman, you'll increase the likelihood that you will hold a leadership position as an upperclassman. 

You'll also increase your competitiveness for internships and know how to make good use of the summer after freshman year for earning not only income but also opportunities.

Perhaps most importantly, having a vision for what you want to do after college will help you make the most of your college opportunity and avoid getting derailed by distractions or confusion. You'll know what you're pursuing and why, and that's a great foundation for success.